PaperRock

The project aims to develop technologies for the sustainable production of integrated diagnostic tests on paper-based substrates. At present, the entire laboratory industry relies almost exclusively on plastic consumables. Laboratories worldwide generate over 5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, which has become a major environmental problem. Medical diagnostics, which rely almost exclusively on single-use materials, account for a significant proportion of this. Above all, the rapid diagnosis of infections plays a crucial role in everyday life today: millions of tests are carried out every day. This will not only exacerbate the problem many times over, but will also lead to a shortage of diagnostic materials. Paper-based point-of-care tests are intended to become a sustainable alternative to plastic, one that is also suitable for the rapid production of large quantities of single-use test items.

The project not only addresses the challenges of the current pandemic but also aims for a fundamental industrial transformation. From July 2021, the manufacture and sale of general single-use plastic items will no longer be permitted across the EU. The transition of specific sectors, such as diagnostics, to plastic-free alternatives is therefore in line with EU strategy. Paper-based diagnostics require materials that are not only moisture-resistant but also exhibit specific compatibility with fluidic processes, versatile detection technologies and, above all, with reagents and biological sample material. These properties are not originally present in paper; however, paper has all the prerequisites for targeted modifications.

The PaperRock project is developing industrial processes for structuring and functionalising paper, which enable the realisation of diagnostic assays on paper-based substrates. The suitability of the processes will subsequently be demonstrated in a prototype for the detection of viral nucleic acids (influenza RNA).

The iP³ Leipzig – Institute for Printing, Processing and Packaging Leipzig at HTWK Leipzig is responsible for the following work packages in the project: a) Research into embossing processes for the production of customised microfluidic structures in paper as diagnostic articles, b) Research into processes for the pre-deposition and stabilisation of reagents on geometrically functionalised paper using printing technologies such as inkjet and gravure printing, and c) Development of requirements and concepts for the scaling and implementation of the developed technologies.

About iP³ Leipzig – Institute for Printing, Processing and Packaging Leipzig